The following are practical steps and arrangements you can take after your loved one dies
☐ Contact your minister or spiritual leader.
☐ Contact immediate family members and close friends.
☐ If employed, contact your loved one’s employer.
☐ Contact homeowner’s insurance if restoration is needed in any rooms.
☐ If you would like to place an obituary in the Helena Independent Record, please visit https://legacy.memoriams.com/network/IndependentRecord/Obituary. Keep in mind you will typically be asked to pay for each line of text of any obituary posted in local newspapers.
☐ If you wish to memorialize your loved one with charitable donations, provide an “in lieu of flowers” statement in the obituary or at the funeral home that informs people where they can send monetary donations in your loved one’s name.
☐ If applicable, notify agent under Power of Attorney.
☐ Alert the executor of your loved one’s Will.
☐ Notify religious, fraternal, and civic organizations that your loved one was a member of.
☐ Notify your attorney regarding the probate of the estate.
☐ Arrange for the care of any dependents.
☐ If the deceased had any pets, arrange for their immediate care. Lewis and Clark Humane Society is an option if family or friends do not want the animals. Their number is 442-1660 or go to https://www.lchsmontana.org
☐ Remove any valuables from the deceased’s home, secure the residence, and take steps to make the home appear to be occupied (for example, use of lamp timers).
☐ Arrange for the disposal of any perishables left in the deceased’s home, such as food, refrigerated items, and existing refuse.
☐ Alert the Post Office to forward the deceased’s mail. Go to https://tools.usps.com/locations/ for the address and telephone numbers of all the post offices in Lewis and Clark County.
Locate loved one’s important documents
☐ Will
☐ Birth certificate
☐ Social security card
☐ Marriage license
☐ Military discharge papers (DD-214)
☐ Deed to burial property
☐ Copy of funeral prearrangements
☐ Life insurance policies
Compile the following information the funeral home will need to finalize the death certificate
☐ Deceased’s first, middle, and last name
☐ Deceased’s maiden name if applicable
☐ Deceased’s home address
☐ Deceased’s social security number
☐ Deceased’s date of birth
☐ Deceased’s date of death
☐ Deceased’s age
☐ Deceased’s gender
☐ Race/Ethnicity
☐ Marital status
☐ Spouse’s first and last name
☐ Deceased’s highest level of education attained
☐ Deceased’s occupation
☐ Deceased’s place of birth (city and state)
☐ Deceased’s father’s name, birth city, and birth state
☐ Deceased’s mother’s name, birth city, and birth state
If your loved one was a Veteran, Reserves, or National Guard
☐ Contact VA Business office to discuss survivor benefits, burial benefits, and funeral services. Call 442-6410, then ask to speak with someone in the business department. They will need the following information:
☐ Entered service date
☐ Entered service place
☐ Service number
☐ Separated from service date
☐ Separated from service place
☐ Grade, rank, or rating
☐ Organization and branch of service
Locate/obtain other important documents for the settlement of their estate
☐ At least 12 copies of the certified Death Certificates. These can be obtained by filling out a death certificate order form found online at https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Clerk-and-Recorder-Treasurer/Clerk-and-Recorder-Records-Dept. They are $7 each and payment should be sent with the order form. The office number is 447-8306.
☐ Real estate deeds and titles
☐ Stock certificates
☐ Loan paperwork
☐ Bank and retirement account statements
☐ Last 4 years of tax returns
Within one month of death, you should
☐ Consult with an attorney about probate. Probate is a court-supervised procedure of administering a deceased person’s estate. The probate process involves authenticating a will, paying off debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
☐ Meet with an accountant to discuss estate taxes.
☐ File claims with life insurance companies.
☐ Contact the Social Security Administration and other government offices that may have been making payments to the decedent. If the decedent was your spouse, inquire about your eligibility for new benefits. Website is https://www.ssa.gov/survivor. The phone number is 1-800-772-1213.
☐ Notify the Registrar of Voters. Contact the Elections Department in the City-County Building. Lewis and Clark County Treasurer/Clerk and Recorder, Amy Reeves, 316 N Park Ave, Rm 168, Helena, MT 59623. Phone number: 406-447-8339, email: elections@lccountymt.gov.
☐ If the deceased’s home is unoccupied, cancel unnecessary home services, such as newspaper delivery, cable, etc. You can cancel the newspaper delivery of the Helena Independent Record by calling 1-800-523-2272. Find the contact numbers on old cable or satellite bills in your loved one’s home and call to cancel those services.
☐ Cancel prescriptions. You should notify your loved one’s primary care physician and their pharmacy in case they are signed up for automatic prescription refills to be mailed to them. Prescription bottles will have the pharmacy telephone number and the name of the medical prescriber of the medication on them.
☐ Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel deceased’s driver’s license and transfer titles of all registered vehicles. This requires submitting a death certificate by either fax, email, regular mail, or dropping off in person to the DMV office. Their phone number is 447-8369. Mailing address is 316 N. Park Ave # 142, Helena, MT 59623
☐ Contact the deceased’s employer. Inquire about any 401 (k), pension, or company benefits that the decedent may be entitled to.
☐ File any outstanding claims for health insurance or Medicare. You will need to call or verify that the funeral home has called the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to notify them of the death, doctors will have up to 1 year to submit claims to Medicare to cover any services provided until the date of death. Medicare will be canceled when the death is reported to the Social Security Administration. If your loved one had supplemental insurance, you will need to notify them of the death.
☐ Notify all 3 credit reporting agencies. Equifax 1-888-378-4329, www.Equifax.com, Trans Union 1-833-806-1627, www.TransUnion.com, and Experian 1-888-397-3742, www.Experian.com
☐ Obtain a current copy of the deceased’s credit report. This can be done by mailing a request to each of the credit reporting companies.
Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139 https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/relative-death-contact-credit-bureaus/
Trans Union LLC, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA. 19016 https://www.transunion.com/blog/credit-advice/reporting-a-death-to-tu
Experian, P.O. Box 9701, Allen, TX 75013 https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/reporting-death-of-relative/
☐ Check for any life insurance benefits available through existing credit card or loan accounts. Contact the credit card company or owner of the loan account. Most of these types of benefits if applicable with only pay off the existing amount of debt owed.
☐ Obtain copies of deceased’s outstanding bills. This information is included when you obtain copies of the deceased’s credit reports. See instructions and contact information above.
☐ Advise all creditors in writing that a death has occurred. This website has many sample letters that can be reworked to fit your needs. You can find samples and more information at https://www.joincake.com/blog/notification-of-death-letter-to-credit-bureaus/#h_6920360731171582298820907.
☐ Change ownership of assets and lines of credit. This can be done once all debts are settled. A certified death certificate is usually required. This would include retitling vehicles, updating deeds to a home or land.
☐ Update your Will if needed.
☐ Update beneficiaries on your life insurance policies if necessary.
Need help? Call 9-8-8 